More on Renewable Energies

Wind power

The use of renewable energy and "green power" such as biomass, small and large hydroelectric power, geothermal, sun, wind, photovoltaic electric power can also provide a significant environmental benefit by reducing CO2 emissions.

One of the most promising renewable energy technologies is photovoltaic’s. Photovoltaic’s (PV) is a truly elegant means of producing electricity on site, directly from the sun, without concern for energy supply or environmental harm. These solid-state devices simply make electricity out of sunlight, silently with no maintenance, no pollution, and no depletion of materials.

"Green power" actually takes in a range of renewable energy technologies. The cost of gas-fired electricity is estimated at 3-4 cents per kilowatt-hour, coal at 2-6 cents and nuclear at 2-14 cents. The average home might use 12,000 kilowatt-hours per year.

Green power requires consumers to pay more for their power so it is sourced from renewable sources including wind and solar. In the past 12 months there has been a surge in public support for renewable power.

View Tom Friedman on how America can regain its international stature by taking the lead in alternative energy and environmentalism.

Components of a typical standalone PV system using crystalline silicon technology. (Source: Solar Electric Power Association)

Solar electric systems can incorporate inverters or power control units to transform the DC electricity produced by the solar cells into alternating current (AC) to run AC appliances or sell to a utility grid. Complete systems usually include safety disconnects, fuses, and a grounding circuit as well.

Fuel Cells

Hydrogen as an alternative energy source will play an important role in future due to decentralization of energy supply and decline of oil reserves. The stored energy in hydrogen can be transformed into utilizable electric energy by fuel cells.

What is the Kyoto Protocol?

The Kyoto protocol is the worlds only existing treaty to limit emissions, the Kyoto Protocol, has had limited success, and expires in 2012. Politicians are working to develop a replacement that would include countries excluded from Kyoto, and those that refused to join, such as the United States.

Al Gore uses an informative presentation to show us that our world is in a dangerous situation where human activities have caused so much damage on nature just to indulge our weakness. Most of the glaciers from every where around the world have been melting away; some have been transformed to water, while some even have dried away to the dust.

Hydropower is renewable, non-polluting and environmentally friendly source of energy. It's the oldest method of renewable energy technique known mankind for energy production, conversion as well as electricity generation.